physiognomy
6 synonyms for physiognomy, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The practice, now regarded as unscientific, of judging someone's character from their facial features and general appearance.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English phisonomie, from Anglo-Norman phisenomie, Middle French phisonomie and others, ultimately from Late Latin physiognomia, from Ancient Greek φυσιογνωμία (phusiognōmía, "physiology"), from φύσις (phúsis, "physique, appearance") plus γνώμη (gnṓmē, "means of knowing"). Middle English phisonomie...
Full origin of physiognomy →